Due to the nature of guide tube needles, their handling has always presented a certain risk, since needles are so sharp that they may cause injury.
For these reasons, physicians and nurses are extremely careful when using said needles in order to reduce the risk of injury and needle contamination. Consequently, withdrawing of the protecting capsule or sheath is done just before its use; the sheath consisting of a container with an open end and lengthened so as to keep the needle therein.
Although this protective sheath allows safe handling just before the patient is injected, it becomes useless when the needle is withdrawn. This is due to the fact that sometimes the needle is kept applied to the patient for a long time and, consequently, the sheath may be lost. It is also possible that the patient may have the guide tube applied in one location and be moved to another place, such as X-ray room, operating room, parturition room, therapy room, etc., with the sheath left at the former place.
Even when a protecting capsule is used, handling the capsule is rather difficult due to its small diameter which makes it easy to fail the intent of introducing the needle inside the sheath. Consequently, the person using it may be hurt by the contaminated needle.
The present invention deals with a protecting device for guide tubes used the device blood and serum bags and the like which provides permanent protection to the user or person handling same. The needle operates between two limit positions therein: the first one corresponding to the operative use of the needle and the other to the protected inoperative state of same.
Therefore it is clear that the protection provided to the needle by the sheath is complete not only for the operators, but also for cleaners, clerks and rubbish collectors.
Therefore, the utility of this invention is evident due to its novel features since it is suitable with any kind of waste guide tubes (serum, blood, etc.).